News and Events in the Harrogate District

Harrogate Borough Council to rake in a further £1/4 million on planning applications

Harrogate Borough Council will rake in a further £260,000 after they decided to increase charges around planning applications.

Currently the Council takes in around £1.4million in planning application fees.

HBC were made aware that Central Government were allowing local councils to increase charges associated with planning applications on the 21 February 2017.

Due to a deadline to register an increase by 13 March 2017, last week a change was rushed through by the Leader of the Council, Richard Cooper and Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainable Transport, Rebecca Burnett.

In the decision notice published, HBC cited “This would be a missed opportunity to invest in expanding the capacity within the HBC planning service during a period when major planning applications are expected to rise” although this doesn’t make sense as an increase in planning applications would mean an increase in income from planning applications.

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